Communicate Your Feelings Through Flowers

Flowers are perhaps the most perfect gift, graciously supplied by the earth. The mere sight of one’s favorite flower can soothe frazzled emotions, stoke the fires of new love, and rekindle feelings of hope. Flowers are living works of art that remind us that life is worth living. It would serve anyone well to learn more about flowers.

Read on to discover what types of flowers may be most meaningful to your loved ones (or yourself) on a special occasion or just an ordinary day.

Let the Flowers Do the Talking

Before you choose a type of flower to give to your loved one, ask yourself what you’d like to communicate to him or her. Whatever the sentiment is, flowers can express it. For example:

• Love – There is no better way to express love than with classic, exquisite roses. Though typically associated with romance, roses are not just for lovers. Yellow roses are often exchanged between dear friends. Red roses are the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat. If you’re looking for something out-of-the-box, ask your florist for tie dyed roses.
• Purity, Beauty, Innocence – Daises are often equated with innocence and youthfulness; they are an ideal gift for a young girl, a high school graduate, or a free spirit of any age. A bouquet of daisies can minister feelings of carefreeness and youthful exuberance.
• Style, Class – Lilies, particularly Casablanca lilies, communicate that you see your loved one as beautiful, stylish, and one-of-a-kind. Its amazing fragrance makes this type of flower even more perfect.
• Luxury, Strength, Beauty – Orchids are the best flower to give to someone you deeply value. Most people liken orchids to costliness and rarity. Katie Pavid of the Bristol Post explains, “During the Victorian era, orchid symbolism shifted to luxury, and today this sense of magnificence and artful splendor continues, with orchids representing rare and delicate beauty.” A gift of orchids will be long remembered.
• Fascination – You might not know it, but carnations can effectively express fascination, making them a great gift to be sent by a secret admirer.

Colors Change the Meaning of Flowers

The color of a flower has the ability to alter or totally change the message you wish to communicate to the flower receiver. For example, giving your loved one pink flowers will communicate that you admire her femininity. White would highlight the receiver’s purity. Purple speaks of the high regard you hold your loved one in, and red represents romantic love and passion. Ralph Waldo Emerson exclaimed, “The earth laughs in flowers.” This lovely statement reminds us of the joy flowers can bring, and the simple power they possess to touch hearts and express sentiments. What is your favorite flower, and what color do you prefer? When was the last time you received a breathtaking bouquet of nature’s art? Share with us in the comments section below.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color: Colorful Flowers to Plant this Spring Sunflowers are Summer’s Glory Roses May Smell the Same, but Colors Make a Difference

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Crisp Imagery through Color Enhancing Technology

When you look at an image, it is safe to assume that you are seeing it through three color sensors: green, blue, and red. Can you imagine seeing an image through 12 times the amount of sensors?

The University of Granada in Spain and Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy, recently unveiled design plans for a “multispectral imaging system capable of obtaining information from a total of 36 colour channels.”

The Polytechnic University of Milan is responsible for creating the sensors, known as Transverse Field Detectors (TFD). These sensors “…are capable of extracting the full colour information from each pixel in the image without the need for a layer of colour filter on them.” The Color Imaging Lab at the University of Granada has created a system that enhances these sensors and puts all 36 color channels to good use.

While this technology will be available to medical and government industries at first, there is a good chance it will someday transform the images we see on our mobile devices and personal computers.

The digital devices we use every day currently have color image sensors limited to the basic three color channels. As you can imagine, this impacts how we perceive color and lessens the quality of the images we see. If our handheld devices and personal computers offer 36 color channels someday, the colors we see onscreen will appear true to life.

Before this technology makes it into our homes it will be used for important activities that depend on poignant but stubborn details, like medical imaging and detecting counterfeit currency.

For now the technology is making it easy to facilitate the “capture of multispectral images in real time.” According to Wikipedia, “A multispectral image is one that captures image data at specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters or by the use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, including light from frequencies beyond the visible light range, such as infrared.”

The Principal Investigator on this project is thrilled about the potential TFD technology has to “…turn the light they receive into electric signals.” He believes that this technology will aid and advance a variety of industries and research fields.

Even though the technology is young, trials of the Transverse Field Detectors are taking place in locations like the USA.

Learn more about the research that is leading the way to crisper imagery through color enhancing technology:

Imaging Resource

University of Granada

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Hues, Tints, Tones and Shades – What’s the Difference?

Basic Color Theory – Color Matters

Pantone’s World of Color

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Coloring Each Season with Healthy Food

 

What is your favorite food? While some dishes are enjoyable year round, there are a few seasonal treats that we crave in certain months. For instance, with autumn comes a taste for turkey and pie, especially apple and pumpkin. Winter seems to taunt us all year long with reminders of sweet cookies and hot cocoa. Spring is alive with fruits and vegetables that are coming into season, and summer is the time to grill meats and eat cold treats – like Popsicles.

Regardless of what season we are in, crave-worthy foods find ways into our homes. But we don’t reach for them because of taste alone; these are the foods that color each season. Baskets of jams in winter and bowls of fruit in spring become colorful, edible kitchen décor. But no food colors a kitchen better than fruits and vegetables.

Delectable greens, vibrant berries, plump tree fruits and unearthed veggies add color to each season while sparing us room in our waistlines.

Take a journey with us through each season, reviewing the tantalizing treats that come into our homes each year.

Summer

On a hot summer day, you probably find yourself cooling off in the kitchen. With a berrylicious ice pop in hand, you can treat yourself to a low-calorie, colorful treat.

In a recently released cookbook, “Vibrant Foods” author and photographer Kimberly Hasselbrink features “Summer Berry-Coconut Milk Ice Pops.” Add a splash of color to your freezer and bear the heat with this healthy sweet.

Fall

The rich colors of fall are best found in nature. One type of fruit has colors to match the many autumn hues. Harvested between August and November, a vast variety of apples line grocery stores each year. Pies, sauces, and salad accoutrements are all places where apples appear during this colorful season.

Winter

Winter blues seem to strike in the earliest months of the year. During this time, it’s tempting to let holiday sweets carryover into daily diets, but cutting out these cravings is easy with colorful, homemade soups. Tomato bisque, broccoli-cheddar soup and hearty stews are recipes that add splashes of color to this dreary time of year.

Spring

When the earth comes alive again with thawing temperatures and spring rains, fruits and vegetables begin to appear again. Bringing color into the home and shedding the holiday pounds is simple with green leafy vegetables. In addition to making salads, begin using lettuces to cook and present food. By adding lettuce to sandwiches and garnishing main dishes with the edible green, you can sneak in the vitamins and cancer-fighting qualities while adding a burst of green to every meal.

Food is a part of our daily lives no matter what season we are in. Enjoy rich colors, textures and flavors that complement each season.

Which foods do you like to eat in summer, fall, winter and spring? Share which treats infuse your kitchen with color and add health to your life.

Read more Segmation blog posts about color theory:

Food Never Looked So Good

Thanksgiving Scenes Influence Art

The Stories Behind Holiday Colors

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Color Your Home, Change Your Mood

“Color is the spice of life,” says interior designer Mario Buatta. “It’s a mood-changer. You change the color from room to room to create a new mood.”

This statement epitomizes the impact color has on our emotional wellbeing and points to the importance of surrounding ourselves with home décor that encourages positivity.

Many people view their homes as sanctuaries. What do you consider your home? Does your interior design reflect the mood you want to set when in this unique environment?

If you want your home to be a sanctuary, it begins with incorporating colors that can influence your mood and the moods of others.

In a recent AOL.com article, top designers offer advice on color schemes that enhance mood. Here is what some experts are saying:

BUNNY WILLIAMS – DEFY TRENDS

“It’s important to choose colors that are easy to live with, which means ignoring trends. What’s timeless is to invent your own color schemes.”

MILES REDD – BE BOLD

“I love disparate rich colors paired next to each other—like taxicab and indigo. The tension that they make on the color wheel is dazzling. Each color makes the other more vibrant than when they stand alone.”

KELLY WEARSTLER – GENDER EQUALITY

“Pink-and-black is confident and chic. I always love to play up the sexy tension between masculine and feminine elements in design.”

STEVEN GAMBLER – ALL EYES ON THE KITCHEN

“Kitchens now act as a part of a house’s public space… It’s important that the kitchen feel as warm and friendly as a sitting room.”

TIMOTHY CORRIGAN – GREEN HARMONY

“I find it important to create homes that serve as our places of sanctuary from the outside world, so I often use green in a prominent role. It’s a color that represents harmony and balance, and you can’t help but feel a little bit calmer after spending time in a room surrounded by green.

Do you view your home as a sanctuary? If so, what colors do you use to highlight the essence of this matchless location?

After reviewing the philosophies of famous designers, it clear to see that beautiful homes come in all sorts of color schemes. As a personal oasis, your home ought to reflect your character and surround you with colors that encourage you and lift your mood.

Color is a powerful tool that can influence mood. When it is applied to the right location, it can have a positive influence on you.

 

Read more Segmation blog posts about color theory:

What Color Should You Paint Your Home?

Decorate Your Home Office to Inspire Creativity

Make Your House a Home with Color Blocking

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Art on Color is No Joke

Question: What do two architects have in common with a
French artist and an English painter?

Answer: An irrefutable interest in color.

Chelsea is a Manhattan, New York neighborhood. While the people who live there may be colorful and lively, the art galleries tend to steer clear of the vibrant hues found in other parts of the city.

This summer, however, an art exhibit has moved in and is brightening up this subculture of New York. Entitled, “Art on Color,” the exhibit is anything but chromatic. In fact, the two men responsible for this three month showcase made it their mission to paint every wall of Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl a different color, leaving only one wall white.

“It’s always important to know where to start and where to stop with color,” said Peter Stamberg, partner at Stamberg Aferiat and Associates, an architectural design firm based in New York City. Together with Paul Aferiat, the two architects designed some profound establishments, like the Saguaro hotel in Palm Springs and Shelter Island Pavilion, which are known for their bold color and architectural designs.

In addition to designing buildings, they are also the masterminds behind the exhibit “Art on Color.” Although, it can be said that more than two great minds engineered this idea.

Stamberg and Aferiat invited great artists like John Baldessari, Ann Hamilton, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Man Ray, Brice Marden, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist and Joel Shapiro to feature their work in Chelsea this summer.

 

However, even Hockney is hesitant to claim his title as a color authority. He advises the men behind “Art on Color” to go to Matisse when they are “having trouble with color.” After all, the colorful works of art created by the French artist display the magnificent qualities art takes on when it is infused with bold color.

Stamberg and Aferiat are bathing New York with color this year, but with designs popping up all over the United States, who knows where their touch of color will land next.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Pantone’s World of Color

The Importance of Color Vision and Art

Liza Amor Shows Las Vegas What Happens in the Art Room

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EnChroma Introduces Colorblind People to Color

For many people, being colorblind is a way of life. There are no magic pills to take or corrective surgeries to explore. Once the diagnosis is reached, it is highly unlikely that a person will ever see beyond his or her dingy view of the world.

Unless he or she has the help of new age corrective lenses by EnChroma®, seeing color is near impossible.

Prescription glasses have been correcting eye problems for years. Now, Digital Color Boost^TM technology is making up for what colorblind people lack. The journey to discover these compensatory lenses began about one decade ago. Scientists at Enchroma, the company that owns and distributes the Digital Color Boost sunglasses, were given grant money to find an optical solution to the age-old problem of colorblindness.

Scientist found that “…by filtering wavelengths of light, the color signal sent to the brain could be amplified.” Filtration is provided by the Digital Color Boost coating, which is sometimes put onto lenses 100 layers thick. From there, cuts are strategically made in the spectrum to manipulate incoming wavelengths. This allows some photons to pass through the lenses while others are blocked, which in turn introduces color to the colorblind.

The science and technology goes far beyond the scope of common thought, but EnChroma makes it easy to digest in the “How it Works” section on their website (http://enchroma.com/technology/how-it-works/).

Beyond the technology, the packaging of EnChroma sunglasses and the public’s reception of the product is anything but confusing. People are crazy about this product and how it remedies a problem that, for so long, people accepted as, “the way it is.”

Playwright Kelly Kittell told BoingBoing.net, “The first time I saw brick red I was so overwhelmed I stopped cold. Purple and lavender, where have you been all my life?” Lives are changing thanks to the new technology that is introducing them to a world of color.

Kittell goes onto admit that it is distracting to use the glasses at first. “You won’t be able to stop yourself from peeking under the glasses over and over again to verify your favorite gray sweater is actually a dusty rose. It is.”

His thoughts are confirmed by a young caucasian boy, the demographic who is the most likely to be diagnosed with color blindness. Owen’s mom and dad surprised him with EnChroma sunglasses one day. They recorded his reaction to share with the EnChroma blog. Check out Owen’s reaction as he challenges himself to keep the sunglasses on his face after being shocked by color: http://enchroma.com/call-for-enchroma-videos/.

EnChroma understands exactly what they do for the people whom they serve. Their tag line boasts: Color for the Colorblind. With digital color boost technology, they are doing what has thought of as impossible. They are introducing people with colorblindness to the world of color.

Read more Segmation blog posts about colorful technology:

Color-changing Properties Make Gold Multi-purposeful

Extracting Art from Science

Art Illuminates Science

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Communicating with Color in the Animal Kingdom

Do you use colorful language? Not in the sense of 4-letter words. Rather, do you use colors to express yourself in conversation? For instance, depending on your situation you might say:

• “I feel blue.”
• “You look green with envy.”
• “They call me mellow yellow.”
• “I’m red hot with desire.”
• “That is just peachy.”

Colors can be good descriptors for human emotion. But another species in the animal kingdom takes colorful expression to the next level. Chameleons are known for their camouflage traits. The lizard descendent changes color to match its environment. Not only is this a form of protection, it is also a form of communication.

Chameleons Communicate with Color

The Royal Society journal recently published a paper about the complexity behind chameleon communication. In their research, Dr. Russell Ligon and Dr. Kevin McGraw found that a male chameleon’s brightness of color and speed at which it changes, in addition to where the color is located on the body, may predict how aggressive the chameleon would be in competition with another male.

Brightness of the Color

In their study it was reported that the male who developed the brightest stripes and spots would often approach the other chameleon. Similarly, the chameleon with the brighter head was more likely to win the fight.

Speed of Change

Another important indicator of who would dominate in a duel was the speed at which the colors changed. The chameleon that transformed fastest was positioned well.

Body Position

In an article with Scinews.com, the researchers say they “found that the stripes, which are most apparent when chameleons display their bodies laterally to their opponents, predict the likelihood that a chameleon will follow up with an actual approach.” The researchers go onto suggest the chameleon whose colors are not as bright and prominent may back down before any aggression has been exerted. Dr. Ligon explains why: “By using bright color signals and drastically changing their physical appearance, the chameleons’ bodies become almost like a billboard – the winner of a fight is often decided before they actually make physical contact.”

These findings tell us a lot about a chameleon’s character. Does it speak to human nature as well? On another level of the animal kingdom, humans are billboards too. Our outward appearances and expressions represent our values, our families, our communities, and our places of business. More than the clothes we wear, the colorful expressions we choose to show are telling of how we feel. But unlike chameleon’s, we can’t use these colors to hide. Which color are you today?

Read more Segmation blog posts about Art and Animals:

Sea Urchins have left the Beach to Inspire Art

Birds of a Feather Art Fun Craft by www.segmation.com!

Do you love Cats?

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Use Color to Change Employees’ Job Performance

Color can affect emotions.  

Color is a powerful thing. In fact, it has the ability to affect individuals’ emotions. Certain colors encourage specific types of behavior in people — nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the workplace. What color have you chosen to decorate your office in? The hue that you surround your employees with may be affecting their job performance more than you know.

What colors enhance job performance?

Here are just a few examples of workplace paint shades that have powerful effects upon employees:

— Red — Most people know that red is a stimulating, empowering color that can increase workplace excitement. This is because the color red “can increase brain wave activities, as well as raise heart rates and respiration.” It would be best to accent a workplace with red, as an entirely red office space might be overwhelming to employees. If your workers need a boost of invigoration, red would be an ideal shade to utilize.

— Orange and Yellow — Did you know that orange is capable of increasing enthusiasm? It’s true. Yellow, another warm hue, can actually “stimulate memories” and make individuals feel a sense of welcome. These colors are best used as accents. Why? Because yellow has the potential to bring out frustration and anger, and orange may increase a person’s appetite.

— Blue and Green — Do your employees need a boost of hope and encouragement? If so, green or blue would be the perfect shades to implement in your office space. For high-stress environments, blue should be used because of its amazing ability to lower heart rates, respiration, and blood pressure. Green, which has been known to reduce anxiety, is another great choice for stress-provoking places of employment.

Color can help your employees in a number of ways. 

It’s clear that color can be helpful to individuals on many levels. Whether your employees would benefit from an atmosphere of peace, hope, inspiration, or determination, you can help them get their emotional needs met simply by investing in a new paint job for your office. Color truly is amazing!

Sources:

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/wall-color-effect-employees-17469.html

Coming soon: Do you work from home? If yes, learn to decorate your home office to foster personal inspiration by reading our next post.

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— The Expressive Vincent van Gogh

https://segmation.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/the-expressive-vincent-van-gogh-2/

— Welcome Spring with a Freshly Painted Front Door

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Color Inspires Runners

Art is inspirational and valuable in many facets of life and society, including business, education, and entertainment. It is art that often stirs passion and gives many a reason for living. Indeed, our society is built partially on the foundation of the legacy of great artists and excellent works of art. But can art, or elements of art, inspire individuals in the fitness realm? It can and does. Just ask any individual involved in The Color Run™.

The Color Run™ is basically a three-mile run that is marked by bright, beautiful, and bold colors at various points in the course. The focus of The Color Run™ is not necessarily athletic ability, but “crazy color fun with friends and family.” The point of The Color Run™ is to take white t-shirt-clad runners and smear them with rainbow colors by the end of the 3-mile (5k) race.

There are only a couple of rules enforced by The Color Run™. One rule is that runners must begin the course wearing proper running attire, which in this case includes a plain white t-shirt. The second and last rule is that runners must be covered in color by the race’s end.

The Color Run™ uses different colors at specific kilometers (or COLOR RUN Zones) in the race. As athletes pass through the zones they become running works of art as Color Run™ workers “blitz” them with vibrant shades of color. The colors typically used are blue, orange, pink, and yellow. Apparently the colors employed by The Color Run™ are safe enough to eat, although it is not recommended.

There are plenty of The Color Run™ locations throughout the United States and Australia. A few of those locations include Salt Lake City, Portland, Cincinnati, Miami, Nashville, San Diego, Hawaii, Charlotte, and Orlando. There are many other locations as well. Registration for most of these events is still open, and individuals can register for The Color Run™ in their city by visiting http://thecolorrun.com/locations/.

Does art, or aspects of art, such as color, inspire you to greater levels of fitness? That’s what it’s doing for thousands of people throughout the world. There seems to truly be no limit to the ways art and color can benefit humanity.

Note: The images represented in this blog post do not belong to Segmation; they were found at http://www.insego.org/caluwe-test-what-color-are-you/ and http://neurorelays.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/color-psychology-of-consumer-decision-making/.

http://thecolorrun.com/about/

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Color Blocking Makes for Artful Fashion

Art’s influence on fashion is practically undeniable, especially when you consider particular trends in the clothing industry. For example, color blocking is among the most popular current fashion trends. Color blocking is nothing more than art adapted to fit the human body in the form of certain clothing/color combinations.

Color blocking in fashion is simply the practice of wearing blocks of color. These colors are typically very bold and bright, and oftentimes clashing. While this may sound distasteful, it has been seen on the runway in recent fashion shows and can be quite attractive. So how does someone color block his or her clothing practically?

Guidelines for Fashionable Color Blocking

Clash on Purpose – We are told throughout our lives to wear colors that compliment one another and do not clash. With color blocking, those rules get utterly thrown out the window. When you color block, you are encouraged to wear shades that are traditionally unacceptable, such as red and pink. In fact, the more clash you can achieve with your outfit, the more fashionable you will appear.

Opt for Basic Accessories – If you are going to color block your clothing, do not do the same with your accessories. Shoes, jewelry, handbags, and the like should be restricted to neutral tones. Remember, you can’t go wrong with grey, the current top trend in neutral shades.

Be Bold – Do not shy away from bold, loud colors. Such tones are at the heart of color blocking, so let yourself be free in your choices of these shades.

Wear No More than Three Tones – One of the only unofficial restrictions you have in color blocking is the number of tones you can appropriately wear at one time. A good rule of thumb is to combine only two or three colors per outfit. That way, you will be fashionable but not overwhelming.

There is no doubt that art and fashion go hand in hand – just ask the designers who are creating this season’s array of color-blocked ensembles. Don’t be afraid to unleash your inner artist as you color block your way into late summer. What shades will you choose?

http://fashiondujourdaily.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/color-blocking-101-what-how/

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